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Best Football - Best Fans - Best TailgatingTue, 31 Mar 2015 20:30:14 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Three former SEC players named rookie standouts in NFL OTAshttp://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/three-former-sec-players-named-rookie-standouts/
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/three-former-sec-players-named-rookie-standouts/#commentsMon, 17 Jun 2013 15:45:04 +0000http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/?p=21457Three former SEC studs have made instant splashes in NFL OTAs. Two of the three can earn starting jobs as rookies.

]]>The offseason continues to plow through the dog days of summer. Thankfully, NFL teams have been holding offseason organized team activities, where three former SEC players are leaving big impressions on coaches, teammates and beat writers.

Matt Elam, Baltimore Ravens (Florida)

Former Florida safety and first-round pick Matt Elam is picking things up quickly in Ravens’ camp. With safety Ed Reed gone to Houston, Elam has a chance to win a starting job as a rookie. Ravens’ secondary coach Teryl Austin, who used to be Florida’s defensive coordinator, said Elam is going to be a big player for the Ravens soon, via Baltimore Sun.

“[He’s] going through the usual changes that a rookie goes through, but he’s smart,” said Ravens secondary coach Teryl Austin. “He’s tough, he’s fast, he gets football, and I think he is going to be a fine player for us soon.”

Fellow defensive back Corey Graham said Elam is picking things up quickly, too.

“He’s picking things up very fast,” Graham said. “He’s at safety, they are putting him in the dollar package, he’s coming down playing nickel. When you have the ability to play all those positions, that’s pretty impressive. You don’t see that much, especially in the first couple of months of being on the team.”

Elam expects to be busy as a rookie in Baltimore.

Tyrann Mathieu, Arizona Cardinals (LSU)

The much-maligned and questioned former LSU DB Tyrann Mathieu is making an instant splash in NFL OTAs. Mathieu is “buzzing around plays” and has been working with the first-team defense in the Nickel package. He has also impressed the coaching staff and players at safety. Carson Palmer compared Mathieu to one of the NFL greats, via NFL.com.

“He reminds (me) of Troy Polamalu with his closing speed,” said Carson Palmer. “He might not be the fastest guy out there, but he can change directions and get to the ball really fast, like Troy.”

“He gets thing the first time the coaches tell it to him,” Arians said. “He’s got natural instincts to play football. I’m really happy for him. He’s playing really well.”

Mathieu will see early playing time in Arizona. Here’s to hoping he stays clean.

DJ Swearinger, Houston Texans (South Carolina)

The former No. 57 overall pick is making major strikes in offseason OTAs. DJ Swearinger was one of the more underrated players for the Gamecocks, but he brought the wood on every hit and gave the defense an identity and a leader.

Texans’ head coach Gary Kubiak has been pleasantly surprised with Swearinger while normal starter Ed Reed remains out. Kubiak describes what Swearinger has brought to the defense in two weeks, via Houston Texans.

“Confidence,” Kubiak said. “He’s got a ton of confidence. He just walks out here like he belongs, and he does. He’s got a ton of ability. He’s a smart player. When the ball is close to him, he’s going to make the play. That’s the difference between a good player and a great player in this league is being in the right spot and making big plays when you get there. He’s got a chance to make those plays.”

Texans DB Vance Joseph also had great things to say about Swearinger.

“Obviously, he’s a guy who’s got great talent, great instincts, got some ball skills to make plays on the ball,” Joseph said. “He’s also a very, very smart guy. He’s picked the system up very quickly, and he’s playing well for a rookie. You don’t know until you coach guys how smart they are, but his football IQ’s very high.”

When Ed Reed returns, Swearinger is expected to be the third-team safety, but with the moves he’s making in offseason OTAs, Swearinger may earn himself some playing time as a rookie.

]]>http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/three-former-sec-players-named-rookie-standouts/feed/0Where did Eddie Lacy and Tyrann Mathieu end up?http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/nfl-draft-second-round/
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/nfl-draft-second-round/#commentsFri, 26 Apr 2013 19:45:11 +0000http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/?p=20586Eddie Lacy and Tyrann Mathieu were both selected on the second day of the draft, a day later than both had hoped.

]]>Neither Eddie Lacy nor Tyrann Mathieu heard their names called on night one of the draft. Lacy, the architect of the finest spin move this side of the Mississippi, is the top remaining player left on the board at all positions, while Mathieu was expected to fall to the second or third round. Mathieu’s stock has increased over the last two months, and both should be taken in the second round, especially Lacy.

Many thought Lacy would be selected in the latter portion of round one, but no running backs were selected last night. In fact, it’s the first time since 1963 no running back was selected in the first round. A telling draft?

However, the problem for Lacy is that there doesn’t seem to be a logical fit for him early in the second round. The Cardinals make the most sense at pick No. 6, but if Arizona goes a different direction, things could get interesting.

Mathieu, on the other hand, is still one of the biggest questions in the draft. He was reportedly a no-show at meetings with Texans and Seahawks, raising more questions.

Mathieu has spent the majority of the pre-draft process trying to separate himself from his hazy past of drug use.

Four defensive backs, two corners and two safeties, went ahead of Mathieu in the first round, and he thought of even hosting a draft party last night. When the 49ers traded up, Mathieu thought that would be his moment. But the 49ers selected his former teammate Eric Reid instead.

It’s still unclear which team will take a chance on Mathieu, raising more questions about his future because of his past.

UPDATE:

Eddie Lacy has been drafted by the Green Bay Packers. Tyrann Mathieu has been drafted by the Arizona Cardinals.

]]>http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/nfl-draft-second-round/feed/0Tyrann Mathieu admits to failing more than 10 drug tests at LSUhttp://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/tyrann-mathieu-failed-10-drug-tests/
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/tyrann-mathieu-failed-10-drug-tests/#commentsFri, 12 Apr 2013 17:07:02 +0000http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/?p=20331Tyrann Mathieu reportedly admitted to failing more than 10 drug tests at LSU, according to one NFL coach. It's good that he's coming to grips with his past.

]]>Tyrann Mathieu is certainly creating buzz heading into this month’s draft. He has been one of the fastest rising players on the board since the NFL Combine and LSU’s Pro Day.

While doing a 10-stop tour with NFL teams, the former troubled LSU star admitted to at least one NFL assistant coach that he failed more than 10 drug tests at LSU, via USAToday.

According to an assistant coach for the team, Mathieu responded: “I quit counting at 10. I really don’t know.”

Mathieu has been trying to shake the ‘Honey Badger’ nickname since the NFL Combine in an effort to break ties with his past, and this admission tells us he is truly trying to be brutally honest while the NFL courtship continues until draft night.

The assistant coach who admitted what Mathieu exposed in the interview also went so far as to say that, “If he flunked 10 tests before they suspended him, it shows that he got no kind of help [at LSU].”

But past aside, Mathieu must convince NFL teams and coaches that he’s worth the risk and truly has turned the page. Coming to grips with his past, I’m sure, has been tough for Mathieu, but being brutally honest about the failed tests – to me – shows he’s choosing to come face-to-face with his past failures, not run from them.

Americans, especially NFL fans, tend to have short memories, and if Mathieu can produce for any team and keep his nose clean, fans will have no problem forgetting the past.

“I think at LSU, the Honey Badger (person) came to an abrupt end,” Mathieu said. “I definitely want to do it the right way this time.

“I’ve been to rehab. I’ve been to counseling. I have a sponsor,” he said. “I’m surrounding myself with people who want to do what I want to do, which is be a football player. To go back down that road? Not a chance in this world. Not a chance in this lifetime. I’ve got to be the best person that Tyrann can be.”

Upon entering the combine, attention surrounded not only Mathieu’s attitude and past troubles, but several questioned his speed with the year absence.

He answered those questions today posting 4.43 unofficial time in the 40 in his first run. His second time was 4.50, and while it wasn’t as good as potential top overall corner Dee Milliner’s 4.31, he answered speed doubters with his 40.

Although playing corner in the NFL isn’t all about speed, much of it has to do with having great instincts. Mathieu isn’t a lockdown corner by any stretch, but no one in 2011 had better instincts and play-making ability. And he’s more likely to play a nickel corner-type role in the NFL. We could eventually see him make a move to safety, although he lacks overall size to play the position.

Not only did he have a top 40, but Mathieu looked good going up and making a play during drills, too. He does lack overall strength, though, as he just benched 225 four times, tying a combine low for the position.

Mathieu’s biggest asset at LSU was making big plays during crunch time. Who can forget about the punt return touchdown in the 2011 SEC Championship that flipped all momentum and sparked an onslaught, or the crazy INT against West Virginia in which he tipped the pass to himself and nearly took it back for a touchdown?

While Mathieu is a high-risk pick for any team in the draft, he could deliver high-reward results if he has truly turned the corner.

]]>http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/tyrann-mathieu-nfl-draft/feed/2Regular Season Recap: LSUhttp://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/regular-season-recap-lsu/
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/regular-season-recap-lsu/#commentsThu, 06 Dec 2012 23:25:34 +0000http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/?p=17540LSU lost only two games in the regular season, but one too many to get to Atlanta to back-to-back seasons. Here's the regular season recap, reliving the highs and lows of LSU 2012.

Many thought “this will be the year” for the Bayou Bengals entering 2012. Hell, I thought it would be, too. With an NFL defensive line, virtually the same returning starters on the offensive line, the five-deep backfield and finally a quarterback who could stretch the defense, it was very easy to be optimistic about the Tigers’ chances of another national championship berth. The one thing that stood between LSU and all the hardware last season in New Orleans, other than the 50-yard line, was a pocket passer who could get the ball to the third level to prevent Alabama from eating their offense alive.

The team took a hit before the season began with Tyrann Mathieu’s dismissal. If you didn’t like him, you loved to hate him. And LSU’s secondary and special teams were just fine without him, but the overall edge and no fear mentality this team played with in ‘11 was gone. The edge didn’t leave with Jordan Jefferson, Ryan Baker or Morris Claiborne; it left with the Honey Badger.

The offense puttered in the beginning, and the Tigers played stale in their first SEC match against Auburn but escaped 12-10. We knew then that the passing offense would struggle against better defenses. And the offensive line took a hit when Chris Faulk and Alex Hurst were injured. The shuffling of the line, combined with Mettenberger holding onto the football way too long, showed vulnerability to opponents. There was no rhythm early; there was no rhyme or reason to the offensive play calls. The Tigers struggled against Auburn; they struggled against Towson and ended up getting out LSU’ed by Florida on the road.

Credit the Tigers for bouncing back and beating very good teams in South Carolina and Texas A&M by a combined seven points. But that’s LSU football. We know how the end of the Bama game turned out, but the Tigers bounced back again, winning their last two SEC games.

Zach Mettenberger, however, never really got going. And to be quite honest, he wasn’t the quarterback we all expected. He showed his inexperience holding onto the ball in the pocket too long and overshooting open receivers that got behind teams’ secondaries for potential explosive plays.

The Tigers finished 7th in scoring offense and 11th in passing offense. However, the biggest surprise came from freshman running back Jeremy Hill. Hill exploded onto the scene against South Carolina, and he notched three 100-yard games in a row. Alfred Blue was injured early; Kenny Hilliard, Spencer Ware and Michael Ford were simply overshadowed by the emerging Hill.

Receiver Odell Beckham didn’t have the season we all thought, either, aided by the struggles of the passing game and blatant drops to start the season. He was listed as a major impact player, and he turned in an okay season with 673 yards receiving on 40 catches and two punt return touchdowns. Jarvis Landry became the leading receiver with 52 catches. But it all comes back to the quarterback and that passing game that never seemed to be in a rhythm – outside of two games – the entire season.

Defensively, only a few other teams have as many future NFL players in college football. Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo returned as sure bookends, and Anthony Johnson and Bennie Logan looked to combine forces to make it one of the best defensive lines in college football. And while it was on paper, South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney had more sacks (13) than Montgomery and Mingo combined (11). Kevin Minter, the only returning starter at linebacker, turned in an All-American season at a position of huge need for John Chavis and Les Miles.

Offensive Stud: Entering 2012, we all talked about the four-headed monster at running back for the Tigers in Spencer Ware, Michael Ford, Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard, but the one guy who outplayed them all at the most crucial time was freshman Jeremy Hill. Hill is a top-three back in the SEC, with his silky smooth quickness and punch-packing aggressive style. Hill energized an exhausted running game and became the offensive MVP. He led the team in rushing with 631 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Defensive Stud: Montgomery and Mingo get all the ink, but Kevin Minter was the biggest stud on the defense. He was all over the field tackling ball carries and forcing fumbles, making the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award more competitive than the Heisman. Minter tabbed 111 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Minter, just a junior, will likely hit the road to the NFL in this spring’s draft.

Where To Next: The SEC’s 10-win Tigers face off with the ACC’s 10-win Tigers. LSU fans may be upset with the Chick-fil-A Bowl bid, but it’s such a sexy matchup. The winner will get to keep the Death Valley name on their stadium. This probably is the fourth best game of the entire bowl season. Clemson has trouble with great defensive lines, and LSU should eat Tajh Boyd’s lunch in Atlanta. The draft could do a number on the defensive side of the ball, but Les Miles has recruited great talent in order to reload once more.

]]>http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/regular-season-recap-lsu/feed/0Two-man East race for SEC Defensive POYhttp://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/sec-defensive-player-of-the-year/
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/sec-defensive-player-of-the-year/#commentsTue, 27 Nov 2012 16:30:32 +0000http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/?p=17193There are two players that are going head-to-head for the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award in Georgia's Jarvis Jones and USC's Jadeveon Clowney. Which player should win it?

Clowney leads the SEC in sacks and tackles-for-loss this season, while Jones is the most dynamic player for the SEC East champs. Both are superb at ruining offensive game plans and rattling opposing quarterbacks from their comfort zone.

The SEC’s top two defenders have each had Heismanesque performances late in the season indicative of athletes pushing themselves a little farther into the spotlight. Jones’ signature dreads were all over the field during Georgia’s best win, a 17-9 victory over second-ranked Florida in Jacksonville, while Clowney recorded a Memorial Stadium-record 4.5 sacks last weekend to lead the Gamecocks to their fourth straight win over Clemson.

Clowney’s 13-total sacks is a school record this season. Deeper inside the numbers, however, reveals Jones is quite the pass-disrupter himself. Used as a defensive end/outside linebacker hybird in Todd Grantham’s system, Jones has tallied 30 quarterback hurries on the season. Clowney on the other hand, has just five. Jones has forced six fumbles with two recoveries and helped UGA stuff Missouri with a key interception in the second half way back in September. Outside of Clemson, Clowney’s shining moment came in the final minutes against Tennessee when he sacked-and-stripped Tyler Bray with his team leading by three points in Gamecock territory.

Last season, LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu received the coveted Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts in leading the Tigers to an SEC Championship and berth in the BCS title game. Mathieu’s numbers (6 FF, 5 FR, 7 PBU, 70 TCKL and 6.5 TFL) are similar to Jones’ junior season (6 FF, 2 FR, 2 PBU, 71 TCKL and 19.5 TFL) and Georgia still has a shot at both the SEC title and BCS Championship. Bonus points to Jones over Clowney in that regard.

As for which of this season’s candidates has had more impact on their respective team is a tough question to answer. No doubt, Jones is the heart and soul of Georgia’s defense, a star-studded unit that has gotten stronger as the season’s progressed. Clowney, on the other hand, anchors one of the country’s fiercest defensive lines and is the cornerstone of Lorenzo Ward’s “pressure the passer with four” mentality, one of the best defenses — statistically — in the Steve Spurrier era at South Carolina.

As you can see, both phenoms have earned their stripes as the SEC’s best defenders and you can’t go wrong with either of these future first-round draft picks as this season’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year. I’d give the edge to Jones considering what’s still out there for the Bulldogs.

]]>http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/sec-defensive-player-of-the-year/feed/8Honey Badger and three former LSU players arrested on drug chargeshttp://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/honey-badger-arrested-on-drug-charges/
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/honey-badger-arrested-on-drug-charges/#commentsThu, 25 Oct 2012 22:45:18 +0000http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/?p=16236Tyrann Mathieu and three other former LSU football players were arrested on drug-related charges, according to WAFB.com.

]]>WAFB.com is reporting that four former LSU football players, including Tyrann Mathieu, were arrested today on drug-related charges. Jordan Jefferson, Karnell Hatcher and Derrick Bryant, along with Matheiu, were all charged with marijuana-related offenses.

Mathieu and Jefferson were charged with Simple Possession of Marijuana, Hatcher was charged with 2nd Offense Simple Possession of Marijuana and Bryant was charged with Possession With Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Baton Rouge police later confirmed. All four men will be booked into to the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

“Officers immediately smelled a strong odor of marijuana and obtained consent from Mathieu to search the apartment”, a police news release said. “Inside they found three other men, including the one who had allegedly tried to force his way through the gate. He was identified as Jordan Jefferson,” police said. Police said the other two men were identified as Bryant and Hatcher.

Police said a search of the apartment found a marijuana grinder, digital scale and 10 bags of high grade marijuana. 7 of the bags were found inside Bryant’s book sack, police said. All four men were taken into custody and arrested, police said.

There were talks about Mathieu actually returning to the LSU football team next season, but if found guilty of these charges, I would say any remaining talks about Mathieu returning are over. After Matheiu was kicked off the LSU football team, he enlisted in Right Step Recovery Center in Houston. He later re-enrolled into classes at LSU, and Les Miles opened the door for a possible Honey Badger return to LSU a few weeks ago.

]]>http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/honey-badger-arrested-on-drug-charges/feed/17Pete Thamel accused of bribery & lying on Tyrann Mathieu storyhttp://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/pete-thamel-accusations-tyrann-mathieu/
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/pete-thamel-accusations-tyrann-mathieu/#commentsWed, 17 Oct 2012 18:00:30 +0000http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/?p=15920Sports Illustrated ran a cover story on Tyrann Mathieu and has received a number of reports stating that Pete Thamel bribed a club owner and made up details in the story that defames the Honey Badger.

]]>“This guy from Sports Illustrated, he tried to, first of all, bribe me, so he offered me $2500 just to say things that didn’t take place,” a club promoter told Channel 2 news.

And then there is Pete Thamel’s trespassing and repeated phone calls to the Mathieu family, after they warned him to stay away. Tyrann Mathieu said:

“They called from blocked numbers repeatedly, asking me why I was dodging them”

“They came to my home and that of my elderly mother on multiple occasions.”

Tyrone Mathieu hired a law firm last week to attempt to stop SI’s interview requests. The letter from Irpino Law Firm in New Orleans is addressed to Peter Thamel and Sports Illustrated and reads in part, “You have been consistently harassing Mr. Mathieu and his family regarding personal issues. Mr. Mathieu informed you that they have no desire to respond to your inquiries. Despite repeated assertions of this position, you have trespassed on the Mathieu’s property and otherwise violated their privacy. Demand is made that you cease and desist from any attempts at making contact with Mr. Mathieu or any member of his family.”

“They twisted things and cobbled together details from past articles because we wouldn’t sit down with them.

We have always believed in being a tight-knit family. God first, family second, work and school third. That’s what Tyrann is doing now, and he’s on an avenue to success, making good grades and putting his life in order.”

]]>http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/pete-thamel-accusations-tyrann-mathieu/feed/3Did Les Miles open the door for a Honey Badger return in 2013?http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/tyrann-mathieu-coming-back/
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2012/tyrann-mathieu-coming-back/#commentsTue, 02 Oct 2012 19:15:21 +0000http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/?p=15393Tyrann Mathieu may be returning to the LSU football team in 2013 from the sound of comments made by Les Miles on ESPN's Scott Van Pelt Show. Here is what he said...

]]>Les Miles brought up the possibility of former All-American Tyrann Mathieu returning to the LSU football team in 2013 on the Scott Van Pelt Show. Miles didn’t say anything definite, but he certainly alluded to the door being open for a Honey Badger return next season.

When asked by Van Pelt if there was any chance Mathieu returns, Miles had this to say:

“I think that this is a very legitimate chance that he would have a happy ending.

“I think the point of degree, and the point of handling your business and making sure everything is right and correct, and getting your feet on the ground–I think that that is a tremendously happy ending.”

So if I can decipher Les Miles-ese, and I’ve gotten pretty good at it, Tyrann Mathieu is on his way back to #LSU in 2013.

Mathieu is currently enrolled at LSU taking classes and is not a part of the football team. He spent time in a drug rehab center before re-enrolling at LSU. ESPN showed him in the stands during the Washington game:

]]>Former LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu will re-enroll at LSU today, his father confirmed Monday.

“Tyrann is going to enroll Tuesday,” the elder Mathieu said. “He’s doing great. Mr. Lucas did a good job with his rehab. His face is bright, he’s happy and he’s got more knowledge, he’s a lot wiser.

“He has more discipline, maturity and character. Mr. Lucas is going to remain in his life. He’s done a lot for kids who can’t handle all that fame. He has a lot more pressure.”

Wednesday is the deadline for enrolling in LSU’s fall semester.

His father also thinks Mathieu is interested in playing for the Tigers in 2013.

“I would think so,” the elder Mathieu said. “But right now we’re working on his maturity and his academics. It’s kind of early to talk about all that stuff. I’m going to let Mr. Lucas talk about that.”

Mr. Lucas is former NBA star John Lucas who is mentoring Mathieu. Lucas played 14 years in the NBA before addictions with cocaine and alcohol took control of his life. Lucas successfully completed rehab and had a second career as a NBA coach.

Even though Les Miles will not talk about this situation this season because Mathieu is out of sight and out of mind, I think we can see where this is all headed.

Mathieu really expects to come back to LSU, sit this season out and play football for the Tigers in 2013.

I’m not sure that’s the best situation for Miles and his team, and Miles will need to address this with Mathieu and his family.

Honey Badger is eligible for the 2013 draft if he decides to enter it. This will be interesting to see how it plays out.